yogini

5Q Interview with Benjamin Hicks @benhicksyoga

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga is important to me because it keeps me in balance. My personal journey with yoga started with a back injury and physical therapy. I needed core strength and had chronic pain, I joined a yoga class at the gym and was astonished to walk out of the first class feeling relief. That was my doorway I walked in 2006 and the yoga has been evolving and changing my life ever since. 

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching Yoga in 2009,What transitioned me into a leadership position was first creating a lifestyle program centered around my personal practice then sharing it with others as a Yoga Studio owner.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My classes are unique because I never prep for them and feel guided by my students. I never feel the need to do the same class but try to create variation by exploring spiral diagonal movement as well as pose sequences.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is definitely an integral part of my life and is often the driving force behind my classes. I enjoy all music styles and experiment with musical genres often. I get inspiration from music and feel that influence allow me to better guide my students. 

 5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

My next event is the “2nd annual No Bad Days all free Yoga Retreat” in Lake Havasu City, AZ on November 29th, 30th & December 1st. All the info can be found at www.benhicksyoga.com, or call 928-680-6392.

Ben Hicks will be featured in a Facebook Live with DTO next week. Stay tuned!

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5Q Interview with Dana Strang @findyoursunshine

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Growing up, I was aimless, making decisions which didn’t serve me or anybody else. Which is not to say that I wasn’t happy or ebullient. I was. I have always loved people, but it was without direction. I worked, I went to university, I traveled the world. I ended up in an ashram with West Bengal yogis in Hawaii and there I began to find purpose, substance, love. I studied Ashtanga with prodigies of Patabi Jois, Flow with Shiva Rea… it’s been an amazing adventure!!!! Importance? It is my mission: Someone once told me that my biggest weakness was that I saw the best in people, and that’s when I realized that was my mission….  to help people see the best in themselves.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

Teaching yoga for the better part of 15 years, but really stepped into a leadership role within the last few years. Why? Because I started to realize the positive effect that could be had one person at a time. Moreover, one breath at a time.

3. What makes your classes unique?

They are a journey. Each week is a theme that builds upon itself,  this year‘s theme has been about being fit in the mind. The first week‘s word was #gratitude, looking back at the year with gratitude. The second weeks word #positive thought, the third weeks word was #believe leading into MLK bday, and this week is #Strength. Not about being the strongest person in the room or person who does the pose perfectly, but honoring, being vulnerable, doing what is intuitively best even and especially when everyone else is doing something different.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is just as important as the moving meditation itself. It is everything!!! Notes resonate in different places in our body, we are vibrational beings. It’s part of the visceral experience.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I am the Yoga Director at TruFusion Scottsdale so I am there teaching at least 6 classes a week and then at events as they arise. I am on IG @findyoursunshine ☀️🧘🏻‍♀️📿

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5Q Interview with Fiona from the Yoga Sisters

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga helps me to enjoy my life to the fullest. Yoga helps me to reconnect with myself and to trust my intuition. Everytime when I step on the mat, I know how I feel in that moment. It reflects the past days and shows me how connected I am or not. It is also a very good excuse to take time for yourself and to unplug from the hectic Western Society.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I did my TTC in may 2017 at Sampoorna Yoga in Goa/India. It was a gift for and from me because I wanted to learn more about yoga and it’s philosophy. I had no intention to teach yoga. Back home friends asked me if they can get a yoga class from me and I discovered the magic of teaching yoga. Since august 2017 I am teaching Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa en Yin Yoga at different places in The Netherlands.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My classes are Ashtanga/Power Yoga strong. But I always look at the body of my students and I always try to adjust my class to the public as much as possible. Moreover, I am focussing on the body and how it feels at the moment besides the focus on the breath. What are you feeling? How does your body feel? Do you know this feeling besides the yoga mat? What does it do to you? What are your patterns with this feeling? I always remind my people to focus on the breath. What does your breath do if it is getting tough? Try to bring your breath down.

With YogaSisters. we want to make yoga accessible for everyone. We believe in a world that is lead by you and in a society that gives you the freedom to take control over your own life. To find this freedom in your life you have to start with yourself and that is why we strongly believe that yoga is the key to a healthier and more lovable world.Thats why we are organizing Pop-up Yoga in special places. Our goal with that is to de-stress people from their hectic lives. We like to teach people the benefits of yoga with the possibility to connect with others by (for example) having a breakfast or lunch together afterwards.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is like the key to the soul. With music you can connect better and deeper to your emotions. It’s easier to let them go with the right music. I believe that music determines the energy of a yoga class and makes it more special. So my dream is to teach a Yoga Concert one day, preferably at a church. The energy of a church is amazing.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

We have a lots of events this year with YogaSisters. At the moment just in The Netherlands but we want to expand one day. You can follow us on social media, such as on Facebook and Instagram. But we also have a website: www.yogasisters.nl (just in Dutch. Sorry guys!)

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5Q Interview with Alisha Smith

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

My yoga journey started nearly 20 years ago after I was given a DVD called “Geri Body Yoga” by Geri Halliwell. It wasn’t Sadhguru or Mooji who introduced me to yoga, nope, it was all thanks to a Spice Girl! Since then I’ve been lucky to be mentored by some of the most wonderful, knowledgeable yoga teachers around the world.

I love how many different lineages and styles there are, and my practice is ever-changing; Flow practices help to light that fire and inspire, while yin is my go-to for when I need to be still and listen. I see yoga as a complete system for living, one that helps me to lead a more vibrant, conscious life.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

Around 4 years ago I travelled to India to take yoga teacher training with no intention of becoming a teacher, but just to deepen my personal practice. After teaching my final class, several students had tears running down their face, and I’ll never forget the calm, peaceful energy that was generated during that class. The feedback was just beyond anything I could have imagined, and my group encouraged me to become a teacher and share my gift. So that’s what I did!

3. What makes your classes unique?

In a world full of doing, I offer classes that promote being. I hold space to allow students to come exactly as they are, to heal, to move and to simply be. My favourite thing to teach is a sweet and soft hip-opening yin class with a guided meditation journey and a heavenly savasana. I sprinkle a huge blend of offerings and traditions into my creatively sequenced classes. Depending on the class or workshop I may incorporate journalling, breathwork, meditation, visualisation, aromatherapy, and reiki.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music adds a whole new dimension to my classes. I carefully craft playlists to uplift, energise and encourage flow. I play music in all classes, but at the same time I also value the power of silence, and use it as an invitation for students to journey inward.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I’ve long dreamed of leading an African yoga retreat, and this year that dream is coming true! This November I’m hosting a Yoga Safari in Namibia. It’s set in a beautiful tented lodge, and I’ll be teaching morning flow sessions and sunset yin classes out on the decking as wild elephants and buffalos roam below! The Yoga Safari includes nourishing plant-based foods, superfood elixirs, safari drives, boat trips and bush walks. It’s going to be magical – head over to my website for more details www.alishayoga.com

You can also take my free classes and meditations on YouTube: Alisha Yoga, and connect with me over on Instagram @alishayoga. Namaste 🙂

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5Q Interview with Nicki Taylor @showgirlyoga111

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Before starting yoga, I was dancing professionally. I began my yoga journey in 2004 when I was recovering from a dance injury and could not perform. My mom suggested I try a yoga class with her. Looking back I can see it was for her own sanity as well as mine(haha). I was not a joy to live with being injured as I had grown accustomed to using movement as my therapy. Yoga instantly became my rehabilitation and I have never looked back. I fell in love with the effects of the practice and noticed the positive benefits not only physically, but mentally. Yogic philosophy became my lifestyle. The yoga worked wonders, I am still dancing using my yoga to maintain a balanced body and mind.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

My Yoga journey continued when I completed my first 200 RYT with the added bonus of attending with my mom and brother. My yoga background now includes traditional Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Smart Flow and more. I now have 500 RYT hours, and I am lucky enough to have assisted Rachael Sellars in her 200 RYT Smart Flow teacher training twice in the past 2 years. Becoming a yoga teacher changed my life. I don’t really look at it as a leadership position. I feel like the class is a safe space for not only my students but for myself as well. As a teacher, I believe it’s important to be present for your students and not phone it in. When I teach it forces me to go there inside myself.  Yoga has opened me up to a very spiritual lifestyle. I now meditate daily. I go to a Silent Vipassana retreat yearly. I’ve changed my diet, and I’ve learned to live in the present moment. Or maybe I should say, I’m working on living in the present moment. It’s an ongoing practice for sure.

3. What makes your classes unique?

The feedback I have received about my class and what makes it unique is definitely the music, which I will elaborate in the next question =). Also, I like to keep everything light-hearted and not too serious, of course, while keeping the students safe and offering guidance. Life is serious enough. In class, I try to keep it fun by telling bad jokes and reminding everyone that we are just making shapes with our body. I try to theme the class around what I’m going through so it feels very authentic. I’ve noticed that it almost always resonates with my students as well. We are all connected.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

I am very passionate about music. Having a dance background I love to create playlists that take the students on a journey. I chose music that flows dynamically and is full of emotion. I encourage my students to feel the emotions that arise through shapes and music. I understand that a lot of students and methods don’t believe in music in yoga. That is the beauty of the practice these days. There is so much individuality in teaching styles and studios. A student can always find what works for them. If you love music, come to my class lol

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

You can find me teaching in Las Vegas at Yoga Sanctuary, Body Heat yoga and pilates, Vegas Yoga and for a fun diversion Goat Yoga!  Check out my Social Media for current schedule. IG: Showgirlyoga111 FB: facebook.com/nickiataylor

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5Q Interview with Jennifer Iversen @jenniferiversen.yoga

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I’m sort of a gym rat, so when I was first introduced to yoga I thought it was lame- and not for me. I had some friends who kept dragging me along to their classes despite my eye rolls. One day I was lying in savasana and sort of feeling frustrated with myself. I hadn’t been able to nail the sequence like I felt I should have. I don’t always share this, but what happened next changed my life forever. I heard a little voice say “hey! We tried!” I knew this voice was coming from me. It was my body.  Suddenly I was aware of all of the times it had been speaking to me and I wasn’t listening. “Hey im really tired”, “hey I’m getting full”, “hey that’s pushing it too far”…

Yoga taught me to listen to and love my body. That’s really it’s whole purpose. Yoga means to yoke our mind body and spirit. Once I came to learn that for myself things were never the same.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I first started teaching Yoga When I moved out to Israel. I joined an educational program and they asked me to be the chair of sports and fitness. I started teaching daily yoga classes and the feedback I received from my students mixed with the feeling of flowing on the Mt. of Olives or by the Sea of Galilee literally brought me a joy I’d never known. After that I was hooked. I went back to the states and started teaching.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I believe in lots of demonstrations, communication,  and physical connection. There’s something about being acknowledged by the teacher in an “I see you” kind of way that makes the connection of true yoga so much easier to obtain.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

It’s my favorite part. When I’m creating sequences I usually just free flow to a song that feels good and the magic is born. It’s like interpretative dance that is then memorized and taught to my students.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I’m all over Instagram right now. Find me @jenniferiversen.yoga (that’s Iversen with an “en”). Sometimes I’ll put some YouTube videos up on my channel for people who don’t like studios. It’s a newer platform that you can follow at “Yoga by Jenn”.

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Amie Barsky

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I have always been athletic. I started in competitive gymnastics for most of my childhood, which eventually lead to becoming professional dancer. That lead me into the entertainment business as well as teaching pilates, health & fitness trainer…so for me, physical movement was always a necessity. When I first found vinyasa yoga, I was so excited to about the combination of dance like feeling while building flexibility and strength. At first, I was one of those people who went to class for the sweat: chaturanga, burn, breathe, move, chaturanga again and again. More please! I loved feeling my body completely fatigued and my mind on a yoga “high!”

Yoga is important to me because it has become a staple in my life. Now, over a decade later, I have a wonderful understanding and realization of the deep rooted benefits of yoga. In nutshell, the flexibility, focus and strength of the mind offers much more value than in the body.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I had been practicing yoga for a few years and became a “regular” with one of my favorite teachers, Dan Ward. We’d chat after lass about my dance, gymnastics and fitness teaching background, and everyone in a while he’d say, “Why don’t you become a yoga teacher? My excuse was ” I don’t have the time” A bit later he’d ask again and I’d come up with another lame excuse like “I don’t have the extra cash.” (but the honest truth was the thought of teaching yoga scared the shit out of me!)  Eventually, despite my rewarding physical practice, I found myself living a very unhappy and unfulfilled life. I was working dead-end jobs just to pay the bills, I was exhausted from an unhealthy marriage and a toxic relationship with myself, and I began struggling with severe spouts of anxiety and depression, more than I ever had before.

My life looked great on the outside, but on the inside was a mountain of self-loathing, negative self talk and a broken heart. Finally, I took a good look at myself & had a rock bottom cry and then honest conversation with myself. I felt my truth and realization, that I wasn’t living the life I desired, it felt ugly, I felt unauthentic. Event though the life I wanted felt unreachable, I knew that staying where I was not an option anymore! I asked myself, “How much longer would you like to live in pain, guilt & shame?” Somewhere along the way I had forgotten that I get to chose!

The volcano exploded and I finally said YES to ME. I walked away from the secure life I knew and took a leap of faith into the direction I really wanted to go.  It was definitely the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but it was a necessary one. I dove deep into learning about self-love & personal care. I became a self-help junkie. I took advantage of so many tools, like podcasts, books & amp; seminars, absorbing all the transformational lessons I could find.

A few months later I was in a car accident that flipped me over, physically and mentally. I feel grateful beyond words that I only walked away with a shoulder & hip injury, but I was unable to practice power yoga for a bit. I was upset. Power yoga was my saving grace, as I was finally learning, understanding and applying the deeper levels of mypractice, beyond the physical. Fortunately, that was my pivot, and I continued my inner journey working with life coaches and workshops.  One day a friend introduced me to Kundalini Yoga, a mantra-based meditation yoga. I’ll never forget my first class! I cried like a baby nearly the whole time, emptying an entire tissue box, but I left feeling lighter and happier than ever! I felt good, the fog in my mind started to lift and I could see my path to happiness more clearly. Once my body was healed from the car accident, I knew it was finally time to teach yoga. I went back to my old yoga class and it just so happened that Dan was starting his next teacher training the following month. It was during that teacher training course that I saw my path so clearly.

I bore witness to my own transformation, saw how yoga, meditation, consistency & focus can be used to heal from past trauma, depression, and anxiety without reliance on medication. I knew right then that I needed to share it with other people. So I followed my heart and became a certified life coach.

3. What makes your classes unique?

As an empowerment coach, I infuse my unique philosophy of balancing the head, heart, and body. This involves the conscious and unconscious mind from cognitive exercises, spirituality & mind and body healing. My methods have had a 90% success rate in reducing stress, liberating limiting beliefs, restoring confidence and creating a healthy, balanced life with ease, in this fast-paced world.

As a yoga teacher, whether I’m teaching Vinyasa, Kundalini or Acro yoga,  I stay true to my philosophy of bringing balance to the head, heart & body. My classes are usually an infusion of balance, humor, sincerity, insightful messages. I LOVE to the human body, and always curious to how & why it functions the way it does, so I offer anatomical knowledge + structural alignment, along with creative and effective sequences.  When you are in tune with your brain, breathe and body and make deliberate decisions as to “more or less” then you will receive exactly what you need each time you step on our mat.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music sets the tone. I take a few things into consideration, style, level & time of day, before I decide what to play. Music inspires the flow or feeling I desire to create, so some days I play more tranquil and relaxing music and some days I play a little more funk, upbeat and energizing playlist.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

After all of the shifts I made in my own life, working with the best of the best to dig deep to discover how to reduce stress, anxiety & depression, eat healthy and live a more balanced life, I knew I needed to share it! So I took my favorite principles, tools and techniques for dealing with these symptoms, combined them with kick ass workouts, mediations, nutrition and recipes and voi-la…

The Shift: a Head, Heart and Body Breakthrough was birthed!

I offer The Shift Breakthrough a few ways: 1:1 coaching, live events and most recently the online empowerment course! If you want to lose those stubborn extra pounds, reduce your stress and anxiety and feel your life is more balanced in the first 5 days, just DM me on FaceBook or IG or visit www.fullfitmindbody.com

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Sara Martin Thomas from Meditative Vibes

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I took my first yoga class in 2005 which was Bikram. Then a friend introduced me to Power yoga in 2006. I shortly signed up for me 200hr Power Yoga Training. I’ve been teaching ever since. Yoga is my church, my therapy, my physical, emotional, release, my happy place. Yoga is important to me because it has taught me how important I am to myself and I get to remind people about that for themselves every class!!!

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching yoga in 2006. I was in the very first Teacher Training at the only Core Power in San Diego at the time, Point Loma. I was one of the only Hot Yoga Instructors there. I was asked to assist in the second or third Teacher Training. I Co-Lead Teacher Trainings for CPY-PL, literally up to the day that I went into Labor with my first child;)

3. What makes your classes unique?

My Classes or not just a class they are experience. They are fun. They are a yoga party! I make a different playlist every class. I make people smile, laugh, feel good from the inside out. I remind people how we are all the same, going through the same struggles w/ different titles. I remind people to be grateful for themselves. I tell my classes all the time, ” I need you all, just as much as you need me.”

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is EVERYTHING in my class!

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

My next event is with my friend DTO, on 1/26 with Meditative Vibes. Please follow me at sarayogahair on Instagram and saramartinthomas on FB

You can purchase tickets for the 1/26 event HERE

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Maria Anderson

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga has brought me deeply into the knowing of my TRUTH. It has guided me through my darkest times of chronic and debilitating pain, sickness and depression. It has taught me to always see the gift in the challenge and struggle. It has shown me how extremely strong I am and how BEAUTIFUL the world is!

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I started teaching in 2007. As i struggled with my own issues, I saw the power of of yoga in my own life which inspires me to help others through their own challenges. I feel so grateful that this is my life’s path 🙂

3. What makes your classes unique?

I’m a big believer that yoga is not a work ‘out’, it’s a work ‘IN’!! I bring in inspirational quotes and weave them throughout class to help remind my students that they are MAGNIFICENT!!! That they are loved!! To find a greater connection to their spirits and heart.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music sets the tone for class. It helps to inspire teacher AND student. It is flow, it is grace. It connects us to something deeper within ourselves.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I am working with Meditative Vibes. We have a great event on January 26th at the Del Mar Plaza from 1-4 with live music by DTO. I am found most on Facebook.

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Kelley Doyle @shantikelley

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga is a pathway of transformation through embodied awareness + awakening. Allowing what shows up on the mat to help inspire or heal or activate balance inside and out for me. Mantra, mudra, movement + meditation for balance and peace. In challenging times yoga sadhana has been my lighthouse, guiding me deeper into access this eternal and internal source of “light” and in times of ease or celebration, it’s a way to express my soul through movement and align with the “universal dance” of sacred movement and devotion in motion. yoga has been a source for me since I was 14 years old in my first year of high school in 1984 and I can’t imagine where I would be without this practice~ the practical tools within the philosophy and embodied practices of both yoga and Ayurveda are invaluable to my life.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching in 1993 in Mammoth Lakes, California at the age of 23. I didn’t actually pursue this career in my beginnings, I was going to a class that was attended by about 3-5 people on average and the teacher asked me if I would teach the class while he went to study with his teacher. I was taken back by this idea, I had never been to India, I hadn’t been practicing for 20 years, I thought to myself, “how is this possible!?” So, I called my teacher Gayna Uransky who was an intermediate Iyengar teacher who could certify teachers back then and asked her what she thought ~ she said: “teach, that’s how you will learn what you need to know.” And so it began. Realizing I had a TON to learn I signed up for the Yoga Works teacher training in 1999 with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford and then a few years later began my journey with Shiva Rea and now teach others to guide Prana Vinyasa yoga classes. It’s truly my passion and my path.

3. What makes your classes unique?

Hmmm… well… first thought that comes to mind is that I’m teaching them! And second thing is that each class has its unique experience also because of the friends that come to flow. I truly vibe with what’s happening at the moment and use the elements to help ground, nourish, activate, circulate or create balance through the lens of the elements. Some personal influences are the moon cycle, season, weather, what’s going on in the “world”, planetary influences, personal statement and of course picking up the flow of the current vibe of the friends and the room and reading their body language. And so, I choose music and movement that is inspired by all of these things. Music is super important to me too! No “background” elevator style music, please! I love to use music to truly inspire the friends in the flow to deeper activation, inspiration, and healing through the music. And honestly every class is unique because of the person offering the class, right? Even if a class is “scripted” (I hear this is a thing??) or the same general sequence like in Ashtanga, the unique quality is the teacher, the students, and choice of music.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music, if used with intention, is an essential tool in the flow of a yoga class for inspiring, activating, releasing, nourishing and expanding the potential of the experience to really bring it all together. If music is used for the background then I say don’t use it all, the breath is more potent than sound whispering in the background without purpose. Live music is, of course, the most amazing if the artist is in that organic connection to the flow of the room ~ it’s like magic! This creates an alchemy that is profoundly transforming as well as an experience that will be held in the cells forever!

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I have a 200/300 hour Prana Vinyasa Teacher Training coming up February 2019 in San Clemente, California. My website is http://kelleydoyleyoga.com

And you can find all the details there!

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Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.